Why does water have higher entropy than helium?

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SUMMARY

Water has higher entropy than helium due to its molecular structure and behavior under standard conditions. While helium is a gas with fewer atoms, water, as a liquid, contains a greater number of molecules per volume, which allows for more configurational freedom. The ability of water molecules to vary in both position and orientation contributes to its higher entropy, contradicting the perception of order in liquids compared to gases.

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MathewsMD
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Hi,

Under standard conditions, why does water have higher entropy than helium? Isn't helium a gas? I understand that water has more atoms, but it seems more ordered and is a liquid. I'm not sure how a qualitative analysis could lead to the conclusive result that water is higher in entropy compared to helium..

Could anyone please help in guiding me how to properly think about this?
 
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Entropy per volume?
Water has much more molecules per volume, and those molecules have more freedom - in addition to the position, they can also vary in their orientations. Water is not ordered.
 

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